Convertible electric



Nev. 20, 1928. I Re. 17,138

- J. SACHS CONVERTIBLE ELECTRIC APPLIANCE RECEIVING BOX Original Filed y26, 1916 2 ShBGtS ShGGT, 1'

' ATTORN Nov. 20, 1928. I Re. 17,138

J. SACHS CONVERTIBLE ELECTRIC APPLIAIJCE RECEIVING BOX Original FiledJuly 26, 1916 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR v M ATTORNEYS Reissuecl Nov. 20,1928.

' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFiCE.

JOSEPH SACHS, or HARTFORD, oomvnorrour.

CONVERTIBLE ELECTRIC-APIPLIANCE-RECEIVING BOX.

Original no. 1,296,323, dated Karel '4. 1919, Serial No. 111,386, filedJuly 26, 1916 Application for reissue filed April 4, 1925. Serial No.20,843. 4

This invention relates to what I shall for convenience term aconvertible electric-appliance-receiving box. As may be inferred thisboxor cabinet may receive a switch, out

5 out, meter testing instrumentalities or any other medium or mediums.The primary ob jeot of the invention is to provide an article of thiskind for association with a meter or meters, which can readily bearranged to conform to the location of the meter or meters and willaffordthe necessary protection to the meter as well as the appliance orappliances in the box,

In the drawings accompanying. and forming part of the presentspecification I have shown in detail one convenient form of embodimentof the invention which will be set forth fully in the followingdescription. I do not restrict myself to this\ disclosure; I may departtherefrom in several respects within the scope of the invention definedby the claims following said description.

Referring to said drawingsi Figure-1 isa front elevation of ameter-installation involving a box comprising the invention. 1

Fig. 2 is a like view wherein the meter is below the box instead ofbeing above it as in Fig. 1.. v i an Fig. 3 is a View of the upperportion of an installation illustrating an adapter in cooperativerelation with one end of the box.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the body of the box. v

Fig. 5 is a like view of an end plate. I Fig. 6 is a similar View ofanother end plate with the front or cover connected therewith.

l Like characters refer to like parts through out the several views. I

The box comprises in its construction a body portion made up of the mainmember 2 and illustrated in detail in Fig. 4, and two end members orplates 6 and 7, shown respectively hy Figs. 6 and 5. This main portioncomprises a back 3 and complemental'sides 4L and 5 which may illustratedbe in' the form of flanges bent from the backand'dispose d inparallelism with each other or practically so. wall of the body areinterchangeable, forinii I : end of the body 2, or it may close theother, and the same thing applies to the member 6,

These end-members or portions of the stance the end member 7 may closeone open these members being like the body generally of sheet metal.Preferably connected in some suitable waywith one of these end members,such as the end members 6, is a member as 8 which as shown constitutesthe front or cover of the box.' The member 7 as represented has parallelend flanges 9 andlO and a back flange 11. 'Said member also has a slotas 12 which cuts through the back flange 11 and this slot 12 isadvantageously utilized to receive the terminal chamber or othersuitable art of a meter. These flanges 9 and 10 are a apted to fitbetween the flanges 4 and 5 at either end of the box, said flanges 9 andlOhaving holes as 13 and 14: adapted to register with either with eitherthe perforations or holes 15 and' 16 or 17 and 18 respectively. If themembera 7 beconnected with that part of the bod 2 shown as beinguppermost in Fig. 4, it 01- lows that the screws 19 will extend throughthe registering perforations 13 and 15 and 14- and 16 respectively, andin this event like screws as 24 are utilized conveniently for con-,necting the part 6 to the body'and will extend through the registeringperforations 22 and 17 and 23 and 18 respectively. In the constructionshown the screw openings in the end members are plain, while the holesin the body are threaded to receive the threaded port-ions of thescrews.v For additional security the back 3 may have perforations orholes as 25 arranged as shown in pairs near its opposite ends, each pairof holes 25 being adapted to receive the back screws connecting the endmembers 6 and 7- with the back .3. Said back screws are intended toextend through, holes 25 in the end members and also support the box orcabinet.

The two members 6 and 7 are interchangeable, and the means by which theyaremounted are in the organization il'lustrate d, of du- F i plicatecharacter. While these two members 6 and 7 present what I haveconsidered the" ends of the box, it be elear that they-1 I need notnecessarily present the top 'or bottom or vice versa, for the body 2 maystand horizontally, and in this event either the wall 4 or the wall 5.might constitute the top or conversely.

In addition to the elements already de scribed the box comprises a frontor cover as 8, and this may be connected to one of the end members'forinstance the end member 6. This" connection may be of any desirablekind, although ahinge joint is a convenient one as illustrated. When thefront or cover is closed as illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the

slot 30 in the free end of said cover may receive the projection or lip31 on the front edge of the member 7 the extending portion of the saidprojection or tongue 31 or that part which pro ects beyond the frontface of the cover when the latter is closed, having a slot 32 which mayreceive a suitable seal.

Ihave illustrated as will be gathered merely one of severalorganizations involving the invention. Thisone, as well as the others,

subserves the important function of acting as an electric appliancereceiving or contain-' ing box or cabinet and a meter adapter or Ihaving a meter adapter portion in itself.

That is to say, the structure presents a selfcontained cabinet and meteradapter.v The construction of I this self-contained cabinet and meter'ada ter is such that the meter may be placed in different positions.relativelyto the cabinet and the conductors leading to and from thecabinet may be disposed so as to enter and leave from such sides as theconditions of the particular installation may require. I considerawallor part as7 asameter adapter member and a part or wall as 6 as a blankend member or wall. By using the term blank to designate this form ofend member or wall, Ido notmean-tov impl that this kind of wall memberis entirely lank It may be provided with openings or aper' I tures orknockouts to permit of conductors entering and leaving throughthis partofthe com lete cabinet. However, the form of end 'contradistinction tothe name applied to the mem er or wall like 6 is called a blank wall inend member or wall 7, because it is not intended to serve as a meteradapter end wall or member. Said part 6 is-shown having a hole 'oraperture or knock out 33, to which may be connected a suitable conduitpipe in the well-known manneror said hole may receive a bushing. equiped as at 34 with knock outs, so that con uit pipes or bushings may besuitably connected at any of these points.

In Figs. 1,2 and 3 I have shown several arrangements. In Fig. 1 forillustration the member 7 is shown at the top of the body 2 and themember 6 at the bottom whereas in Fig. 2 this arrangement is exactlyreversed. In Fig. 3 t'he box is arranged as shown in Fig.1, but insteadof directly carrying the 'bers'of meters.

The body is similarly or-knock outs appearing in the end wall or meter,it sustains an adapter as 35. In this the wires from the box to theterminals of the meter 36; v

In Fig. 1 a meter 37 of a certain style with a bottom connected terminalchamber is located above the cabinet. In Fig: 2 ameter 38 of anotherstyle with a top connected terminal chamber is located below thecabinet. In either case, however, the terminal cham- .ber of the meterprojects inside of the cabinet and through the aperture like 12 of themember or plate 7. It maybe that the same cut or slot in-this plate?will'fit the two terminal chambers, but it is intended that plates like7 or meter adapting plates or end walls, which is the same thing, willbe provided with different forms of cuts or slots, so that these slotsor cuts will suitably conform to the different contours of difierentterminal cham- In Fig. 3 the meter as 36 as shown has no top or bottomterminal chambers but is of the side wire type. 2 Consequently theadapter 35 isnecessary in order to coverup the ter minals and the wiresleading therefrom to the eventfthe slot 12 constitutes a wire way forcabine t. This adapter 35 is of a general form well known in the art,but'it is secured ,or

suitably associated with an end wall like 7 or one of equivalent naturethereby forming .a-meter-adapter end' wall or element which willaccommodate a side-wire meter, for 1n stance instead of using a meteradapting end wall like 7 withits slot or cut, I may use an,

end wall which merely has an aperture through it. x

I have stated above that members like- 7 are meter adapter end walls ormembers but I do not intend to imply that such meter ada ter end wallsmust of necessity beprovi ed with a notch or cut in all cases, but this,however, is a desirable construction, I have shown in'Figs. 1 2 and 6 ahinge connection between the front er cover 8 and the end wall member 6,while I have shown a sealing stud which. projects through the cover onthe member .7. It will be obvious that the front or cover of the cabinetmay be otherwise secured to the body and the end walls. For instance thehinge or equivalent form of connection may be on the end wall of member7 .and the sealing connection may be on the member'6' or if desired thecover may be held in any other well known and convenient manner.

I have already drawn attention to the holes member Sand in the back andside flanges of the body '2. These apertures or preferably knockouts arefor the urpose of connects ing suitable, conduit pipes or bushings atthe points noted, fo r the'entr'ance orexit of suitable, wires "orconductors into the cabinet. In Figs. 1 and 2 I have denoted by 40suitable condu t pipes connected at, difierent oints of the cabinet andits end walls or mem ers.

miss

installation requires Obviously when the I In reality the scribedcabinet.

- adapted to has means tosupportfor the proyectionof said ling device isnaturally not back but to the support of the box whatever adapter, ofwhich that designated by 35 is an illustration, such part can beconnected'to the meter adapter end wall in any desirable manner, ori'tmay'form a unitary part with the end wall. 7

While I'have termed. the article a convertible electric appliancereceiving box, this as I have already noted, was for convenience. deviceherein shown and deis a self-contained meter adapter but it ispreferably arranged mentioned, may be mounted therein, and when soarranged the cabinet forms in its complete entity a protective housingand casing not only for the appliances mounte therein but also for themeter associated therewith. I have shown in Fig. l in the back 3 of thebody certain apertures 41 which'are receive screws or other suitablefastenings ances in the cabinet are held in place in any suitablerelation thereto.

I desire to call attention to the fact that the box has a compartmentthe back of which an electric circuit controlling device, the wallportion; of the box having an opening to receive a part of a metercompartment trolling is obviously the space surrounded by the walls,back and front 'or cover. the box has a row of perforations 41 which inthe present case present a simple means for attaching to the back theelectric circuit con-. trolling device which may in the particularinstallation, be used in the compartment. have mentioned the fact thatwhat I have considered the back of the box has a row ofperforations oropenings. This is as will be clearwa structure which has met myconditions in a satisfactory manner. There may be instances where thebody of the box has no back and wherein the electric circuitcontrolfastened to the containing .saidcircuit conit may which supportis then in re the box.

' Claims:

1. An electric appliance-receiving box constituted of a body portioncomprising back and opposite walls and two mutually interchangeableintermediate walls, one of said in-. termediate Walls being providedwith means adapting it to function as a meter adapter element, and meansfor removably securing said intermediate walls to said. odyysaid be orotherwise su tably arranged, ality the back of a means being independentate walls,

This cabinet as stated may serve for example meter adapting purposes,

to also serve so that electrical connecting appliances such as those' bywhich the connecting apphmeter part into the device. The compartment ofthe box The back of of the connection of said opposite walls to the backwall.

2. An electric appliance-receiving stituted' of a body-portioncomprising aback wall and two opposite side walls and not more.

e5 box conthan two mutually interchangeable intermed1- one of which isnotched to receive the projectingend of a meter, removably securing saidWalls to the side walls of said body portion, said means beingindependent of the connection of said side walls to the back wall.

v5. In a self-contained meter adapting 'cabi .net, a one-piece sheetmetal body portion comprising integral back and sides and open ends,

and means for interchangeable a meter adapt ng endwall forone ofsaidends, i

and a blank end wall for the other, means for securing said end walls tothe body and in c or.-

relation to the sides thereof, said means independent of'the connectionof said sides to said back and constructed so as to permit of theinterchangeablepositioning of said end walls to said bed and a cover.manently to one o the walls.

4. An electric appliance-receiving box having a body portion comprisingback and side walls, end members remova ly and interchangeably placeableat the open ends of said body portion and in correlation with said sidewalls, means for attachin to the side walls indepen ent of the 00111188.tionbetween said back and side walls, one of said end membersconstituting a meter a apt ing end member, and-a cover hinged to andremovable with end member.

5, An electric appliance-receiving box having a body portion comprisingaback and sides, end -members remo'vably changeably placeable at the openends of .said body portion. and in-correlation with said the opposite 1sides, one of said end members constituting a the end members being Ihinged perfor the box and interably placeable at the open ends of saidbody portion and in correlation with walls, oneof said end wallsconstituting a meter adapting end wall and both said end wallsindependent of the conbeing flanged, means nection of said side and backwalls for re movably attaching the flanges of said end walls to the sidewalls of said body portion and a cover 'for the box, having a flange em:bracing said walls.

In testimony my hand this 27th day of March, 1925.

' JOSEPH SACHS.

said side whereof, I have hereunto set

